Film wrapping or packaging machines or apparatus, for wrapping articles, packages, or palletized loads within wrapping film, are of course well known in the art. Examples of such film wrapping machines or apparatus are disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,961 which issued to Turfan on Mar. 6, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,691 which issued to Turfan on Aug. 4, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,807 which issued to Morantz on May 21, 1996, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,796 which issued to Haloila on May 13, 1986. As disclosed within FIG. 1, which substantially corresponds to FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,961, and which is representative of the conventional film wrapping or packaging machines, a film wrapping or packaging machine is generally indicated by the reference character 10 and is seen to comprise a four-post upstanding framework 12 through which extends a conveyor 14 for conveying articles, packages, or palletized loads, to be wrapped or packaged, to a wrapping station 16 which is located substantially at the center of the region or area which is peripherally defined by means of the upstanding posts of the framework 12.
An upper frame member 18, vertically movable in a reciprocating manner with respect to the framework 12, rotatably supports a ring or circular track member 20 upon which is mounted a plastic film roll mounting and dispensing assembly or carriage 22 upon which is mounted a roll 24 of plastic wrapping film. Consequently, when the upper frame member 18 is moved in vertically upward and downward directions, and the ring or track member 20 is rotated with respect to the vertically movable upper frame member 18, film from the film roll 24, mounted upon the film roll mounting and dispensing assembly or carriage 22, can be withdrawn therefrom and applied onto the articles, packages, or palletized loads which are to be wrapped within film packaging material and which are disposed or located at the wrapping station 16.
While the aforenoted conventional film wrapping or packaging machine is satisfactory from an overall operational point of view, it is desirable to effectively shorten the cyclic time required to wrap or package each article, package, or palletized load within the wrapping or packaging film. In addition, it is also desirable to effectively lengthen or extend the service life of the roll of wrapping or packaging film such that the need to replace the roll of wrapping or packaging film occurs less often. In this manner, more articles, packages, or palletized loads can effectively be wrapped or packaged within wrapping or packaging film dispensed from a particular roll of wrapping or packaging film than has been previously possible whereby more continuous article, package, or palletized load wrapping or packaging operations can be performed and completed without the need to replenish depleted rolls of wrapping or packaging film which necessitates a predetermined amount of operational downtime through means of a suitable wrapping or packaging film roll exchange operation.